Missing cat Mali is reunited with family

There was welcome news for the family of missing Melrose cat Mali at the weekend when the AWOL feline was found safe and well.

Mali’s owner, Jon Bowie, and his three children were over the moon on Saturday when they received the news they had been praying for – that the Siamese cat had been found.

Mali had been picked up at the new Transport Interchange in Galashiels by one of the Morrison Construction guys.

It transpired Mali had been handed in to the rescue centre at Arthurshiel, near St Boswells, after vanishing almost two weeks previously.

Last week, the family made a plea through the pages of The Southern for help in finding Mali, who had hitched a lift in a neighbour’s car to Galashiels and was last seen dashing out from the vehicle in the car park of the Asda supermarket.

The cat, it turned out, had a bit of a track record for sneaking aboard various vehicles and disappearing.

Mr Bowie contacted The Southern this week to tell us the good news concerning the family’s much-loved pet.

“We got a call from Arthurshiel animal rescue at lunchtime today (Saturday) to say Mali had been picked up at the new Transport Interchange in Galashiels by one of the Morrison Construction guys,” explained Mr Bowie.

“He shut her in their canteen, made some enquiries and got through to Arthurshiel who kindly went and picked her up.

“The kids and I are absolutely thrilled – and aside from having lost quite a bit of weight – and she didn’t have much to lose to start with – being pretty hoarse and extremely clingy, she seems none the worse for her adventure.”

Mr Bowie emailed us a photograph of Mali curled up back home in Melrose, and obviously exhausted by her latest wandering adventure.

And Mr Bowie praised those who had helped in the search for missing Mali: “I would be very grateful if you could pass on my thanks to the brilliant staff at Arthurshiel, all the other agencies and groups who have posted her details on Facebook – including, of course, The Southern – but most of all to the Morrison Construction employee – I didn’t actually get to meet him, but hope that he enjoys the beers!”